NEW DELHI — In yet another twist to the kidney transplant racket, Delhi police registered cases against seven policemen for taking bribes from one of the accused. One of the policemen has been arrested while six are absconding. Arrested policeman Assistant Sub-Inspector Ravindra Kumar Singh has been charged with taking a bribe to let off the accused doctors.
Singh and his colleagues visited the doctors on Jan. 7 after receiving complaints, said police spokesman Rajan Bhagat.
“Instead of booking them under laws they let them off on a bribe,” he said. We have registered a case and are investigating,” Bhagat said.
“ASI Singh took more than Rs.1.9 million from the driver of Dr. Upendra,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Satyendra Garg said.
Upendra Aggarwal — the Ballabhgarh-based physician — was the first to be arrested after the racket was unearthed.
Probe concerning the involvement of Delhi police in the scam was launched after the man behind the racket, Amit Kumar, known as Dr. Horror, spoke about the involvement of police in the scam during interrogation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Kumar is in CBI custody till Feb. 22. He was recently arrested in Nepal and handed over to Indian authorities.
Kumar also reportedly bribed the police in Nepal to escape arrest. According to a report in Katmandu Post, Kumar told the police: “We can easily avoid arrest in India by giving some thousands of rupees to the police. Take Rs.10 million that I have now and I will send you more money as I reach India.”
According to reports, Delhi police officials took bribes from Kumar and his brother Jeewan thrice, but did not even inform the Gurgaon police. Despite their being aware of the scam, they did not take any action.
Accusing Delhi police officials of extorting money from Upendra, Gurgaon Police Commissioner Mahendra Lal said: “Harpal, Amit Kumar’s driver who was arrested last week told investigators that Delhi policemen picked up Kumar and his brother Jeewan in December and took them to Connaught Place area. They later let them go.”
Kumar and Jeewan were allowed to go after three inspectors and a constable took a large amount of money from them, according to Gurgaon Police. The two had earlier been arrested following registration of a case of an illegal organ transplant in 2001. They were released on bail and later denied allegations. The illegal kidney transplant racket was busted on Jan. 24 by the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh police in Gurgaon.
Meanwhile, a special CBI team raided the house of the second wife of Kumar in Jammu and questioned the family members, official sources said. His wife is in Canada where Kumar has huge investments in real estate. The CBI has seized some vital documents and property papers related to Kumar’s wife. Businesses run by Kumar’s wife are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and CBI.
